outline for ielts writing task 1

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IELTS Writing Task 1: Everything You Need to Know

Ielts writing task 1 in 6 simple steps.

Academic Writing Task 1 Strategy

• Understand how the test is marked. Knowing the marking criteria will allow you to give the examiner exactly what they need.
• Paraphrase the question. It is best to paraphrase the question in the first paragraph. You can do this by using synonyms.
• Write the overview. To write your overview , pick 3 or 4 of the main features and write about them generally without referencing any data.
• Support the main features. In a new paragraph, support the key features with the data in the information given to you.
• Check your work. Check your report for spelling and grammar mistakes. Make sure that the data you mentioned is also accurate!

Essential Writing Task 1 Skills

• How to Write an Overview Paragraph 
• How to Paraphrase 
• How to Write a Complex Sentence
• How Many Words? 
• Task 1 Charts Checklist
• Task 1 Tips
• The Danger of Synonyms
• 6 Common Mistakes
• Paragraphing and Editing

Writing Task 1 Full Lessons

• Writing Academic Task 1 in 5 Easy Steps 
• Charts Lesson
• Maps Lesson
• Multiple Charts/Graphs 
• Process Lesson

Academic Task 1 Sample Answers

• Bar Chart Sample Essay (Cars in Asia) 
• Process- Cement and Concrete Production
• Pie Chart (Italy and Yemen Populations) 
• Process Question
• Bar Chart Question (UK Telephone Usage) 
• Line Graph (US Consumption of Energy)
• Bar Chart Sample Answer (International Students)

General Training Writing Task 1

General Training Writing Task 1 in 5 Simple Steps

• Understand how the test is marked. Knowing the marking criteria is the best way of giving the examiner exactly what they need and nothing else.
• Decide whether the letter is formal or informal. This part is easy. If the question asks you to write to a ‘friend’, it should be an informal letter. If the question asks you to write to anyone else, it should be a formal letter. It is that simple!
• Discuss each bullet point from the question. Make sure to take a new paragraph for each bullet point. This will make your letter easy to read and understand.
• Sign off your letter. Don’t overcomplicate this part. Include a sign-off suitable to your letter’s tone and write your name beneath.
• Check your work. Make sure your letter doesn’t contain any grammar or vocabulary mistakes.
• Letter Writing Tips
• How to Write an Informal Letter
• How to Write a Formal Letter

General Training Essential Writing Task 1 Skills

• Task 1 General Training Writing Strategy
• Task 1 General Training Writing Guide

Sample Answers

• Formal and informal sample letters.

Writing Task 1 Essential Information

• People doing the Academic test will write a report on a data set, map, or process. People doing General Training will write a letter.
• You must write 150 words or more.
• You should spend around 20 minutes on this part of the test.
• Task 1 is worth 1/3 of your total mark on the Writing test.
• You will be assessed in four areas: Task Achievement (25%) Coherence and Cohesion (25%) Lexical Resource (25%) Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)
• The most important thing is that you can demonstrate that you can clearly communicate in English.
• The key to doing well is to know exactly what the examiners want and give it to them.
• Grammar and Vocabulary Guide

• Top 10 Grammar Mistakes

IELTS Writing Task 1 FAQs

How can i improve my writing.

You will find all the resources you need on our Writing Task 1 page. Click the link below:

Writing Task 1

If you need serious help or personalised feedback, you should check out our online course. There is a waiting list, but you can add your name here:

How can I get a Band 7, 8 or 9?

The answer to this question is different for every individual IELTS student, as it depends on a number of factors, including your work ethic, English skills and exam strategy. You'll find a guide to answering this question in this article

If you need serious help with improving your IELTS scores, you should check out our online writing course. There is a waiting list, but you can add your name by clicking the link below:

Can you correct my writing?

Please click the link below and it will give you all the information you need about our writing correction service:

Writing Correction Service

Do you have any sample answers?

Yes, you will find them at the link below:

Task 1 Sample Answers

Will using 'high level' or 'academic' words help me improve my score?

Probably not.

Read my recent article about IELTS vocabulary here:

5 Things You Need to Know about IELTS Vocabulary

How many paragraphs should I write?

Introduction

You can put the overview at the end if you'd like.

Can I use idioms?

No, you should typically avoid using idioms in Writing Task 1.

The only time this is acceptable is if you are taking the General Training test and must write an informal letter.

Should I write a conclusion for Task 1 Academic?

No. A conclusion is a summary of YOUR ideas and your opinion. Task 1 is simply reporting what you see, so there shouldn't be any of your ideas or your opinion.

Instead of a conclusion, you should write an overview.

The reason lots of people get confused about this is that some teachers, books and even one British Council website call the overview a 'conclusion'. It's not a conclusion, it's an overview.

Finally, it does not matter where you put the overview paragraph. We teach our students to put it after the introduction, but it is also fine to have it as your final paragraph.

How many words should I write?

You must write at least 150 words in Writing Task 1 (yes, the examiners will count them!)

I would suggest that you aim to write around 160-170 words for Task 1. Aiming for 20-30 words more than the required amount makes you more likely to reach the word limit without setting an unrealistic goal.

Will I lose marks if I don't write enough words?

Yes. If you don't write the required number of words, you will lose marks in 'Task Achievement' for not answering the question fully. Read more here .

Can I use contractions?

No, should not use contractions when you are writing an academic essay or formal letter. However, it is fine to use contractions in an informal letter.

When should I write formally?

There are a few signposts that indicate when you should write formally or informally. Watch our video lesson to find out what they are:

IELTS Writing Task 1 General Training: Formal or Informal Letters?

• Ebooks & Courses
• Practice Tests

IELTS Academic Writing  – How To Plan a Task 1 Essay –

The first step to achieving a high score in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 is to know how to plan your essay. This is very important and in this lesson, I’m going to explain why and show you how.

The lesson includes:

• 3 reasons why you must plan your essay
• 4 simple steps of essay planning
• 4 part essay structure
• A sample essay written step-by-step

Many students get a far lower score than they’re capable of achieving simply because they either don’t know how to plan their Task 1 essay or they think that planning takes up time that is better spent writing the essay.

Here are three key reasons why you should plan.

3 Reasons Why You Must Plan Your Essay

1) planning saves you time.

If you plan your essay before you start writing, you will already know what you’re going to say and won’t need to keep stopping to think about the next idea. This means that you will be able to write much faster than if you don’t have a plan.

You only need to spend 5 minutes on the planning stage. That leaves 15 minutes to write and check your essay.

2) Planning results in a more relevant answer

25% of your marks are for task achievement. This includes,

• Identifying the main features
• Comparing the main features
• Answering the question appropriately

Planning before you start writing will ensure that you include everything that's required in your IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 essay.

3) Planning results in a better structure

Another 25% of the marks are for coherence and cohesion. This includes,

• Organizing your ideas into a logical order
• Having a separate paragraph for part of the essay
• Linking your paragraphs appropriately

You may have done a fantastic job of identifying the main features of the graphic, and found some great comparisons to write about, but you must also be able to form your ideas into a well-structured essay. Without a plan, this is difficult to achieve. Unless you have a good essay structure, you will not score highly for coherence and cohesion.

Spending a few minutes planning your essay will give you a basic outline to follow as you write. This will make your task a lot easier and lead to a far better essay, and a happy examiner.

The 5 Simple Steps of Task 1 Planning

There are 5 steps to writing a good essay for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1:

• Analyse the question
• Identify the main features
• Write an introduction
• Write an overview
• Write the details paragraphs

We’ll look at these in more detail below but first, I want to outline an easy to remember 4 part essay structure.

The 4 Part Essay Structure

You can use the same basic structure for all IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 questions. Ideally, your essay should have 4 paragraphs:

Paragraph 1 – Introduction

Paragraph 2 – Overview

Paragraph 3 – 1 st  main feature

Paragraph 4 – 2 nd  main feature

You are only required to write 150 words. You won’t score extra marks for writing a longer essay. It’s what you write that gains you marks.

With only 20 minutes allowed for the task, it’s important that you don’t try to include too many details. Having an essay structure to work with will help you with this. Aim for quality in your essay, not quantity – the right information written in a logical order.

We’re now ready to work through the 5 step planning process.

Planning a Task 1 IELTS Academic Writing Essay

# 1 analyse the question.

The format of every question in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 is the same.

Here’s a typical question. The highlighted words will always be the same no matter what type of question you get.

The  chart  below shows  the number of men and women in further education in Britain in  three periods and whether they were studying full-time or part-time.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Every question consists of:

• A brief description of the graphic (sentence 1)
• The instructions  (sentence 2)
• The graphic – chart, graph, table, etc.

To find out what you have to do, you need to look at the ‘instruction’ sentence.

There are 3 things to do:

1.     Select the main features.

2.     Write about the main features.

3.     Compare the main features.

This is the same for every question and every type of graphic.

Many graphics contain a lot of information. You  do not  have to write about everything. Just pick out a couple of main features and you’ll have plenty to write about.

# 2 Identify the main features

In this lesson, I’m going to give you a quick overview of how to identify the main features of the graphics. I go into far more detail in the lessons on the individual question types where I work through sample questions step-by-step to create model answers.

Here’s a reminder of the 7 question types .   Click the links to go to each page for more planning tips.

• Table Chart
• Process Diagram
• Multiple Graph

I’ve created helpful checklists for identifying the main features of the different types of IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 questions. You’ll find them on this page:  How To Understand & Analyse Task 1 Questions

The key features of a graphic will usually be the easiest things to spot.

For a bar chart with a timeline, known as a dynamic bar chart, such as in our sample question, look for general trends. The timeline will give you the biggest clues as to the most significant trends.

Alternatively, a bar chart may be static with the data coming from one point in time. For this type of graphic, you would need to compare whatever different variables are shown. In the in-depth lesson on bar chart essays, for example, you'll see a graph showing the different leisure activities favoured by Canadian boys and girls.

There will be lots of information in the graphic to help you spot the main features. Here are some useful questions to ask for both bar charts and line graphs.

• What information do the 2 axes give?
• What are the units of measurements?
• What can you learn from the title and any labels?
• What are the time periods?
• What is the most obvious trend?
• What are the most notable similarities or differences?

Two general trends in this graphic are:

Main feature 1:  the overall number of students in full-time education increases.

Main feature 2:  the number of women studying part-time increases steadily but for men, it fluctuates.

The general trends you select will be the starting point for your essay. You will then go on to add more detail.

Let’s look at how to do this. Here’s a reminder of the 4 part structure for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 essays:

This structure isn’t going be an exact fit for every possible essay but it’s an excellent outline to work from. Use it as a guideline and adapt it as necessary.

First, the introduction.

# 3 Write an introduction (Paragraph 1)

In the introduction, you should paraphrase the question, that is, say the same thing in a different way. You can do this by using synonyms and changing the sentence structure. For example:

The chart below shows the number of men and women in further education in Britain in  three   periods and whether they were studying full-time or part-time.

Introduction :

The bar graph illustrates how many male and female students were studying full-time and part-time in Britain during the years 1970/1, 1980/1 and 1990/1.

This is all you need to do for the introduction.

# 4 Write an overview (Paragraph 2)

In the second paragraph, you should report the main features you can see in the graph, giving only general information. The detail comes later in the essay. You should also make any clear comparisons you spot.

This is where you write about the general trends. Here are the ones we picked out above.

Now form these ideas into two or three sentences with a total of around 40 words. State the information simply using synonyms where possible. No elaborate vocabulary or grammar structures are required, just the appropriate words and correct verb tenses. For example:

Paragraph 2 :

Overall, the number of students in full-time education increased over this time. With regard to part-time education, there was a steady increase in women choosing to study part-time but for men, the level fluctuated.

# 5 Write the details paragraphs (Paragraphs 3 & 4)

Paragraphs 3 and 4 are where you include more detailed information about the data in the graph. In paragraph 3, you should give evidence to support your first main idea.

In this instance, the data will be numbers of students in the respective time periods. In other graphics, it might be percentages, age, monetary value or some other unit of measurement.

Don’t forget to make comparisons when relevant.

Here’s our first main feature again:

This is an example of what you could write:

Paragraph 3 :

Between the academic periods 1970/1 and 1990/1, the figures for men studying full-time grew in steady increments, beginning at 100,000 in 1970/1 and rising to nearly 300,000 in 1990/1. For women, the numbers had also risen to around 300,000 by 1990/1 on an increasing trend. Notably, however, the figure for females in full-time education in 1970/1 was roughly half that of men, showing a greater take-up than men between 1970/1 and 1980/1.

For the fourth and final paragraph, you do the same thing for your second main feature. For example:

Paragraph 4 :

A different pattern is shown for part-time education. The graph reveals a steady increase in women engaged in part-time study, rising from 750,000 in 1970/1 to 1,000,000 by 1990/1. For men, on the other hand, the figure fluctuated. From 1,000,000 in 1970/1, they had dropped by almost 200,000 by 1980/1 but recovered slightly in numbers by 1990/1. Over the whole time period, the trend between men and women in part-time education reversed, with male students being greater in number in 1970/1 and female students taking pole position by 1990/1.

Here are the four paragraphs brought together to create our finished essay for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1.

Finished essay

This sample essay is well over the minimum word limit so you can see that you don’t have space to include very much detail at all. That’s why it is essential to select just a couple of main features to write about.

We’ve covered a lot in this lesson. Please don’t feel overwhelmed. Once you start using what you’ve learnt to practice answering IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 questions, you’ll soon be able to plan your essay in 5 minutes.

Want  to watch and listen to this lesson on IELTS Academic Writing Task 1?

Click on this video.

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Ielts academic writing task 1 – all lessons.

IELTS Academic Writing  –  A summary of the test including important facts, test format & assessment.

Academic Writing Task 1  – The format, the 7 question types & sample questions, assessment & marking criteria.  All the key information you need to know.

Understanding Task 1 Questions  – How to quickly and easily analyse and understand IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.

How To Plan a Task 1 Essay  –  Discover  3 reasons why you must plan, the 4 simple steps of essay planning and learn a simple 4 part essay structure.

Vocabulary for Task 1 Essays  –  Learn key vocabulary for a high-scoring essay. Word lists & a downloadable PDF.

Grammar for Task 1 Essays   – Essential grammar for Task 1 Academic essays including, verb tenses, key sentence structures, articles & prepositions.

The 7 Question Types:

Click the links below for a step-by-step lesson on each type of Task 1 question.

• Multiple Graphs
• IELTS Writing
• How To Plan a Task 1 Essay
• Back To Top

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Process: An overview, steps and tips

This task, every now and then, presents as a hindrance for test takers owing to its tricky and complicated series of steps within a process or cycle. This article, therefore, will show you a brief introduction of IELTS Writing Task 1 Process as well as steps and tips to ace the task.

1. An overview of IELTS Writing Task 1 Process 

Having no data or numbers shown, IELTS Task 1 Process is rather similar to IELTS Task 1 Map. However, instead of a map, this question type is in the form of a process with different steps or a cycle with diverse stages. There are a variety of possible types of process such as a natural process (e.g. water-made cycle), a manufacturing process, a system, etc.

If you are given a task of describing a process in your IELTS exam, it will be a series of pictures showing steps or stages of how a machine, a life-cycle of an animal or human, a phenomenon,etc. are made or how they work. 

To be specific, there are normally three types of process:

• Natural process: how a creature is born or a phenomenon is made (e.g. Life cycle of a frog, Process to form rain, etc.)

• Manufacturing process: how a man-made product is made (e.g. Produce coffee, cement, How glass containers and bottles are recycled, etc.)

• Object: how an object changed or how it works (e.g. the development of cutting tools in the Stone Age, etc.)

Your task, in IELTS Writing Task 1 Process is to report all key features and steps/stages in the process and cycle or to make comparisons in terms of an Object describing task. You will have around 20 minutes with at least 150 words written on this task. 

Practice now:  IELTS Writing Practice Test

2. Structure of IELTS Task 1 Process

It is strongly advised to still have a three-part IELTS Process report:

2.1. Introduction

In one or two sentences, you need to rewrite the process question in your own words (paraphrase) and assure these following key elements to be mentioned:

• Type of diagram (process-cycle)
• Main topic (a structure that is used to generate electricity from wave power)
• Type of process (manufacturing process)
• Time period (no time period)

e.g. The two diagrams show how electricity can be generated from the rise and fall of water caused by sea waves.

2.2. Overview

In this part, there are no detailed or elaborate descriptions or vocabulary required. In about 1-3 sentences, just give a general description of the process or cycle. You can base on these questions below to have an effective overview:

• How many stages are there in the process?
• What is the beginning and the end of the process?
• What is the raw material? What is the final result produced?
• Are there many changes? What is the most striking change? (for Object)

e.g. The process involves a structure which is mounted on the side of a cliff or sea wall. This structure consists of a large chamber. One end is open to the sea, and the other leads into a vertical column, which is open to the atmosphere. A turbine is installed inside this column and this is used to generate the electricity in two phases.

The body part, as usual, should be divided into two different paragraphs. You can separate the process by describing the first half in the first paragraph and the rest in the second paragraph.

With regards to describing an Object and how it changed, it is advisable to split the body part depending on periods of time given. 

e.g. Paragraph 1: Tool A – 1.4 million years ago

Paragraph 2: Tool B – 0.8 million years ago

Remember to describe all the features in detail but each paragraph should be only in three or four sentences in order not to go beyond the word and time limit. 

Let’s get started with our free  IELTS online test to pass the exam with your highest score.

3. Steps to write a high-scoring IELTS Writing Task 1 Process essay

3.1. step 1: analyse the process question given.

With the same format with all other types of IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 , IELTS Process question also provides candidates with following information:

• Description of the process

(e.g. The diagrams show a structure that is used to generate electricity from wave power.)

• Requirements

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

3.2. Step 2: Find out main features in the process

Based on details of the process such as titles, labels or captions for each picture, you can identify the key characteristics of the process.

In addition, you can refer to these elements to identify the key features in the process:

• Linear or Cyclical Process

– Linear Process: the process happens as a flow with two different starting and ending places 

– Cyclical Process: the process happens as a circle going back to the starting place and the cycle repeats over and over again

• The starting and ending places
• Steps/Stages in the process
• Raw materials and final products

3.3. Step 3: Write your IELTS Writing Task 1 essay

Make sure you know well the structure of an IELTS Writing Task 1 report before starting to write:

• Paragraph 1: Introduction
• Paragraph 2: Overview
• Paragraph 3: 1st main features/steps
• Paragraph 4: 2nd main features/steps

4. Tips for IELTS Writing Task 1 Process

• Both active and passive forms should be used flexibly when reporting a process or cycle
• In terms of describing an object, comparisons to show the chances and differences overtime should be utilised.
• Don’t go beyond the word limit (at least 150 words) and time limit (about 20 minutes)
• Don’t give personal opinions while reporting the process
• Use present simple tense if there is no time period mentioned
• Try to use suitable words and phrases for IELTS Writing Task 1 Process to structure and link the process coherently.

5. Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 1 Process

Also, if you want to consult the sample template for IELTS Process, visit this: Sample Template For Cycle – Process IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

After this article, hope you can dominate IELTS Writing Task 1 with confidence. If you want to learn more about other aspects of the IELTS exam, please join us on our app  and website IELTS TEST PRO!

IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024

• Test Information FAQ
• Band Scores
• IELTS Candidate Success Tips
• Computer IELTS: Pros & Cons
• How to Prepare
• Useful Links & Resources
• Recommended Books
• Writing Task 1
• Writing Task 2
• Speaking Part 1 Topics
• Speaking Part 2 Topics
• Speaking Part 3 Topics
• 100 Essay Questions
• On The Day Tips
• Top Results
• Advanced IELTS

IELTS Writing Task 1 Tips, Model Answers & More

Useful IELTS writing task 1 tips, answers, lessons & videos for success achieving a high score. This page contains all the information and help you need to do well. Learn about the IELTS marking criteria, paragraphing, vocabulary and much more. This page has tips for Academic writing task 1 and GT writing task 1 (see bottom of page).

IELTS Writing Task 1 Information

• IELTS recommend you spend no more than 20 mins on writing task 1. However, the time is yours to manage as you wish.
• You should write over 150 words.
• IELTS writing task 1 is worth only about 33% of your total writing marks.
• Task Achievement (25%)
• Coherence & Cohesion (25%)
• Vocabulary (25%)
• Grammar (25%)
• : IELTS Writing Task 1 Band Scores 
• Academic writing task 1 is a report on a chart (bar chart, line graph, pie chart, table, map, diagram/process). See below for practice charts, model answers, tips etc.
• General Training writing task 1 is a letter only. GT letter writing tips can be found towards the bottom of this page. Click here for Information about GT Writing Differences.  There are tips for letter writing, further down this page.
• All words will be counted and all numbers count as one word. See this page: How Words are Counted
• For more information about IELTS test rules, tips etc, see this page: IELTS  Test 1 FAQ

IELTS Writing Task 1 Practice Charts

A collection of useful IELTS writing task 1 practice samples to develop your writing at home.

IELTS Charts for Practice : Academic Test Only

• Academic students may get bar charts, tables, line graphs, pie charts, maps and diagrams (processes).

IELTS Letters for Practice : GT Test Only

• GT students will only be given letters for task 1. GT students can find more tips lower down this page.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Tips & Free Videos

Free IELTS  writing task 1 tips and videos for the right techniques and understanding the test more clearly.

• Essential Tips : How to Prepare for Writing Task 1
• Tips : How Many Words Should you Write?
• Tips: What tense to use in writing task 1?
• Tips : Penalty for Under the Word Count
• Video : How to Describe a Bar Chart with model answer
• Video : Map Language: 1
• Video: Conclusion or Overview Tips
• Video : Vocabulary for Accurate Data
• Video : How many Paragraphs 
• Video : Official Writing Answer Sheet Tips
• Video : Line Graph 4 Main Sentences
• Video : Line Graph How to Write a Complex Sentence

IELTS Bar Chart Video

Learn how to describe a bar chart in IELTS writing task 1. You can find a model answer for this lesson here: Model Answer .

Writing Task 1 Model Answers

IELTS model answers for charts, graphs, diagrams, maps and tables.. Each sample answer is estimated band score 9.

• Diagram Model Answer
• Bar Chart & Pie Charts Model Answer
• Table Model Answer
• Map Model Answer
• Line Graph Model Answer
• Bar Chart Model Answer
• Pie Chart Model Answer
• Bar Chart of Age Groups Model Answer
• Table Future Form Model Answer
• Line Graph & Bar Chart Model Answer
• Practise at Home:  IELTS Sample Practice Charts

IELTS Writing Task 1 Practice Lessons

IELTS writing task 1 free practice lessons to help you develop skills and understand about the requirements of task 1 academic. More lessons will be added over time.

• Table & Pie Charts
• IELTS Diagram Rain Water
• Two Line Graphs: Exercise & Model
• IELTS Diagram Paragraphs and Organisation
• IELTS Life Cycle Diagram: Model & Gap Fill
• Bar Chart of Change over Time
• IELTS Line Graph Gap Fill Exercise
• IELTS Diagrams: Practice Exercise
• IELTS Line Graph: Vocabulary List
• IELTS Line Graph: How to Describe Guidelines
• IELTS Line Graph: Exercise & Model
• Task 1 Introduction Paragraph Practice
• IELTS Map: Comparison Exercise
• IELTS Two Charts Practice: Pie Chart & Bar Chart
• IELTS Bar Chart: Practice Exercise
• IELTS Diagram Water Supply
• Grammar Accuracy: Practice & Tips
• IELTS Bar Chart: Introduction & Overview Practice
• IELTS Pie Chart: How to Describe a Pie Chart Step by Step
• IELTS Diagram: Introduction & Overview Practice
• Introduction Paragraph: Common Errors
• IELTS Bar Chart Sample Answer

IELTS General Training Letter

The following links are for IELTS candidates who are preparing for the General Training Writing Test. Your task will be asked to write a letter. You will not be writing a report as in the Academic Test. Use the links below to help you prepare:

10 Essential Tips for IELTS Letter Writing

How to Improve your IELTS GT Letter

Differences between GT & Academic Writing

General training model letters and practice exercises:

• Apology Letter: Model Answers Formal & Informal
• Amendment Letter: Model Answer 2017
• Complaint Letter: Model Answer
• Complaint Letter: Error Correction
• Letter to a Friend: Model Answer
• Invitation Letter: Model Answer

………………

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IELTS Writing Task 1: Basic Structure

The  basic paragraph structure of Task 1 writing is quite simple:

• Introduction : Explain in your own words what the graph(s), table(s), or diagram(s) is showing
• Overview : In general terms, tell what main/interesting features are.
• Body 1/2 : Explain these features in detail. If you have numbers, this is a good place to include them. Use two body paragraphs if you have two graphs/tables/diagrams.

Looking at this essay from before …can you see how it is divided into these three parts?

The bar chart compares the enrolment of men and women in full-time and part-time British further education programs in the 1970, 1980, and 1990 school years.

Overall , part-time education was several times more popular than full-time education throughout the entire period. In addition, while men had larger initial enrolment numbers in both part-time and full-time programs than women, by the end of the period women had surpassed men in part-time study and matched them in full-time.

In regards to part-time education , male enrolment started in the 1970 school year at one million before dipping by about 150,000 in the 1980 school year and then making a slight recovery to around 900 thousand students in 1990/91. In contrast, females started lower at about 775 thousand and rose steadily, finally surpassing males in the 1990 school year for a total of approximately 1,100,000.

The trend for full-time education was only slightly different. Female numbers again started lower in the 1970 school year at under 100,000 students but had already surpassed male totals by 1980. While male enrolments grew faster in the subsequent period, the final totals for both males and females in full-time education was more or less identical at around 220 thousand students in the 1990-91 school year.

Reader Interactions

March 25, 2017 at 12:26 pm

Hi, i am not sure about the last line where ” frmales experienced slower growth yhan their male cpunterparts….in the year 1980 they faced a sudden growth than male in 1980. Plz clear me in this point. Thanx in advance

March 25, 2017 at 12:37 pm

Thank you for your comment! This was a typo on my part and has been fixed.

January 4, 2019 at 10:39 pm

Isnt 150 word here

May 8, 2019 at 1:52 am

208 words ))

March 25, 2017 at 12:27 pm

Sorry about the typing mistakes***

April 23, 2017 at 9:07 pm

Thanks a lot, I do have a clear picture of what is expected in task 1.

August 16, 2018 at 3:59 am

Well organized task structure

November 11, 2020 at 10:59 am

You are best of the best

November 16, 2021 at 8:16 pm

Majja Agayaa.

February 28, 2024 at 7:13 am

Idc But I care for ……………………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 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I force you to roll the fuckin’ mouse scroll button to see my fuckin’ weird joke! >O<

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IELTS Writing Task 1: The Ultimate Guide to Achieve Band 9

IELTS Writing Task 1 requires you to produce a summary of at least 150 words regarding some visual information, which is typically in the form of a graph or chart. In less than 20 minutes, you must select the essential aspects, describe and compare the data provided.

In This Article 👋

Brief Information About IELTS Writing Module

There are two assignments in both the academic writing and general training writing modules that don’t call for specialized or technical expertise. The writing assignment is made to see if you have the following abilities.

• ability to describe diagrams, tables and lists
• ability to develop an argument supported by evidence
• ability to communicate ideas clearly
• range and accuracy of English vocabulary and sentences structures

Two answer sheets—one for Task 1 and one for Task 2—will be provided to you. Answers must be given in whole, not as a list of notes. You may select either pencil or pen to write your responses at this time. Therefore, bring writing instruments into the test room, including a pen, pencil, and eraser.

One-third of the points are assigned to Task 1. For IELTS Writing Task 1, you must write at least 150 words, and we advise you to devote no more than 20 minutes to it.

Two thirds of the points come from Task 2. For IELTS Writing Task 2 , you must write at least 250 words, and we suggest that you devote 40 minutes to it. If you write fewer words than required, you will receive a lower grade.

The final outcome is converted into a score on the nine-band IELTS scale. Because of the nature of both tests, it is crucial to adhere to these rules. Writing Task 2 is worth more points than Task 1, so you should give each task the time it needs to be successful.

Academic Writing

• Task 1: Task 1 requires you to prepare a report on visual data (a graph, table, chart, or diagram).
• Task 2: You are given a problem, an argument, or a point of view.

General Training Writing

• Task 1: You must write a letter in task 1 asking for details or outlining a situation.

Well, Today  we are to discuss about Writing Task 1 so, let’s get forward to our main topic. We will be discussing about Writing task 1 of both Academic and general Training both module.

IELTS Writing Task 1: An Overview

We will be discussing about below section on this page read each and every sections to achieve or maximize your band score.

• Academic Writing Task 1 Introduction
• Academic Writing Task 1 Questions types
• General Training Writing Task 1 Introduction
• General Training Writing task 1 question
• Effective sentence structure to get band 9
• Language of trends: sentence and vocabulary
• Writing Task 1 process to maximize score
• Rules to follow while writing task 1
• Common Mistakes done by students in Writing task 1
• Practice Questions for Academic Writing task 1
• Practice Questions for General Training Writing task 1
• Summary for Writing Task 1

Let’s get started !!

Academic Writing Task 1 in Brief

You are required to translate visual information into text using your own words after receiving a visual input (a chart, graph, table, or other diagram, procedure).

For instance, you could need to evaluate a set of statistics displayed in a graph or chart, then sum it up by choosing and presenting the key elements. Alternately, you might need to look at a flowchart and describe the key steps in a process or examine a design of an flow chart and explain how it works.

The target skills in this task are:

• presenting, describing, interpreting and comparing data
• describing a process or how much something works
• using appropriate and accurate language

Academic IELTS Writing Task 1 Question Types

You must write a brief explanation based on visual details or data for Academic Task 1 in the writing module. The most typical formats for this visual data are tables, pie charts, line and bar graphs.

You might be asked to describe two graphs or charts. If this is the case, you need to compare and contrast the information and make connection between the two.

Pie charts are circular diagrams with sectors or “pie slices” that are typically used to represent percentages. Each pie slice’s size reveals the proportional amount of data it represents. The slices come together to form a complete circle. They are more frequently employed in the corporate sector and the media than in the fields of science or technology.

Example: IELTS Writing task 1: Pie Chart

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The pie charts below show the comparison of different kinds of energy production of France in two years. Write at least 150 words.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Pie Chart Tips

• Always draw attention to the largest and tiniest dimensions.
• You must draw attention to the major adjustments or trends if there are two pie charts with distinct time periods.
• Use the vocabulary of a pie chart: accounts for, comprised of, represents
• When the units have not been mentioned in the previous sentence, the phrase “Units are measured in…” should be used.

Line Graphs

You can use line graphs to demonstrate how something evolves over time. They have a horizontal x-axis and a vertical y-axis. Typically, the y-axis displays the object being measured and the x-axis displays the time period. Trends can be displayed using line graphs.

Example IELTS Writing Task 1: Line Graphs

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The first chart below gives information about the money spent by British parents on their children’s sports between 2008 and 2014. The second chart shows the number of children who participated in three sports in Britain over the same time period. Write at least 150 words.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Line Graphs Tips

• Use the information from the line graph in your introduction.
• Include any other important characteristics and main patterns in a summary statement.
• Make sure that each sentence in the body of the paragraph is supported with dates and numbers.

Bar graphs, also known as bar charts, are helpful for displaying how something has changed over a specific period of time, especially when there are major changes. They are similar to line graphs in that they contain two axes. Rectangular bars that can be horizontally or vertically oriented and have lengths corresponding to the data values they represent make up a bar graph. They are frequently applied to comparisons between two or more values.

Example IELTS Writing Task 1: Bar Graphs

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The bar chart below shows the percentages of men and women in employment in three countries in 2005 and 2012. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Bar Graphs Tips

• Read and comprehend the query.
• Determine and record the important details.
• Begin with Formulating the query
• Describe in depth using numerical data.
• Watch your word count and the clock.
• Use appropriate grammar and terminology.
• Utilize Transition Words to Maintain Continuity
• Don’t express an opinion.

Tables contain words and numbers, displayed in columns or boxes to illustrate a set of facts and the relationships among them.

Example IELTS Writing Task 1: Tables

Image Source: IELTS Focus

IELTS Writing Task 1 Tables Tips

• Include all of your salient aspects in the summary. Note that a high score requires more than one distinguishing feature.
• Paraphrase your body of text.
• You’re not required to provide every detail. By providing averages or ranges, you can group specifics together.
• Be discerning. Keep your report’s details to a minimum.
• Aim for less than 200 words, but make sure you write at least 150.
• Use a variety of linking words, such as in comparison to, contrasted with, whilst, etc.
• Avoid using the same phrase patterns too often.
• There will be some words repeated. One term can only have so many synonyms in total. It’s acceptable as long as you demonstrate proficiency in paraphrasing and don’t make any mistakes.

Process or an Object

Although the most frequent work type for Task I of the Writing module is interpreting and presenting facts, two more task types are conceivable. In one, you are given a diagram and asked to explain how something functions or to describe a process. You must describe an item or a sequence of events in the other.

It may be necessary for you to explain an object’s functionality or to compare and contrast two or more items. This kind of work is less typical.

Example IELTS Writing Task 1: Describe a Process

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The diagram illustrates the process that is used to manufacture bricks for the building industry. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Example IELTS Writing Task 1: Describe an object or Event

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. The illustration shows a two wheeled bicycle which is a relatively recent invention. Describe to someone with no prior knowledge how a bicycle operates. Write at least 150 words.

Source : Paramount Ielts

General Training Writing Task 1 in Brief

In this activity, a prompt presents a dilemma or explains a circumstance that calls for a letter-style written response. For instance, you can be asked to write a formal letter to a stranger or an official, or you might be asked to write a letter to a fictitious recipient like a buddy or a teacher. You must write in an informal, semi-formal, or formal tone. Your relationship to the reader you are writing for will influence the style you select. What should be in the letter is outlined in the task instructions’ bullet points.

General Training task require you to:

• respond appropriately to a task
• show familiarity with letter-writing styles
• include the information highlighted in the bullet points
• use appropriate and accurate language

Example: IELTS General Training Task 1 Example

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task. You are planning to spend a two-week holiday in an English-speaking country where you have a friend. You need some advice about travelling there. Write a letter to your friend. In your letter : explain why you have decided to visit the country and give some details of your trip ask about the places you should visit ask if you can stay at your friend’s place for a few days Write at least 150 words.

IELTS Writing task 1 Marking Scheme

First, the IELTS examiner will grade your test in accordance with the following four categories:

• Task Achievement (25%)
• Coherence and Cohesion (25%)
• Lexical Resource (25%)
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)

What do these things mean right now?

1. Task achievement: This refers to how successfully you complete your assignment, describe something in your writing, include enough information, choose the content you include, and write at least 150 words.

2. Coherence and Cohesion: This refers to how well you organized your content, how well you choose your paragraphs, and how well it flowed from start to finish.

3. Lexical Resources: A vocabulary resource is what this term refers to. This demonstrates how much vocabulary you use and how varied, accurate, and suitable it is. Spelling mistakes and improper word usage can lower your score. It’s incorrect to mention “ sales increasing. ” You must use “sales grew” instead.

4. Grammatical range and Accuracy: Obviously, this means “Are you employing complicated sentence structures?” and “Are you making grammar mistakes?” If you keep using the same structure, your sales will first climb, then “flare,” and finally “fall.” Your grammar is correct, I grant you, but all you give me is the past tense repeatedly. Therefore, being exact will result in a high score, whereas repeatedly employing the same structure will result in a bad score.

Effective Sentence Structure to Get Band 9

Here, are some sentences structure which will help you maximize your IELTS Writing Task 1 Bands to 9.

1. Position statement:

• The price of petrol stood at $9.11 per Litre.
• In 2003, the rice export accounted for about 5% of total exports.

2. Movement statements

• There was a decrease in the price of petrol/ petrol prices.
• There was an increase in the rice export/ export of rice/ exported rice.
• Petrol prices/ the price of petrol decreased.
• The export of rice/ the rice export/ the exported rice increased.
• Petrol prices/ the price of petrol experienced a decrease.
• The export of rice/ the rice export/ the exported rice witnessed an increase.

3. Time phrases

• From 1980 to 1990
• Between 1980 and 1990
• During/throughout the period from 1990 to 2003
• During a period of 20 years
• Over the (six-month) period (between April and August)
• For 6 years

4. Grammar Variations

Sentences should be linked together to make your writing more interesting and to raise your band score, but you should try to diversify how you do it. Here are a few alternatives to consider rather than simply using “then”:

• From 2004 to 2016, USB sales rose continuously , then marginally the following year.
• Sales of USBs rose significantly from 2004 to 2016, but marginally decreased in 2011.
• USB sales decreased somewhat in 2011 after rising consistently from 2004 to 2016

5. Providing proof (data)

It’s crucial to provide proof to back up your claim when summarizing the essential details of a diagram. In other words, you add data, such as exact figures, percentages, etc.

For instance: 

• Between 2003 and 2019, USB sales climbed significantly from 39 (million) to 62 million units.
• From 39 million units in 2003 to 62 million the following year, USB sales modestly climbed.

6. Variations in Vocabulary

The breadth of vocabulary you employ is increased by using these changes, which can make your writing more fascinating and raise your band score.

• Sales of USBs decreased somewhat in 2012.
• 2012 saw a modest decline in USB sales.
• In 2012, USB sales saw a modest decline.

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Free English Lessons

Ielts academic writing task 1 – video.

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In this lesson, you can learn how to answer IELTS academic writing task one questions. You can learn how to approach these questions and write your own answer. You’ll also see some useful tips to help you improve your IELTS writing score.

In task one of the academic ielts writing exam, you have to summarise and describe the information given to you in some kind of chart., you might have to summarise and describe a pie chart, a line graph, a bar chart, a table, a diagram, or even a map., quiz: ielts academic writing task 1.

Now, test your knowledge of what you learned in the lesson by trying this quiz.

The first ten questions are ‘true or false’ and ‘odd one out’ questions about the ideas we talked about in the lesson. Questions 11 to 20 each feature example sentences referring to the two pie charts below; each example sentence includes a common mistake or problem, and it’s your job to identify what type of mistake it is.

You will get your score at the end, when you can click on ‘View Questions’ to see all the correct answers.

Quiz Summary

0 of 20 Questions completed

Information

You have already completed the quiz before. Hence you can not start it again.

Quiz is loading…

You must sign in or sign up to start the quiz.

You must first complete the following:

0 of 20 Questions answered correctly

Time has elapsed

You have reached 0 of 0 point(s), ( 0 )

Earned Point(s): 0 of 0 , ( 0 ) 0 Essay(s) Pending (Possible Point(s): 0 )

• Not categorized 0%

Well done! You’ve finished!

That’s an excellent score! Congratulations!

A perfect score! Congratulations!

1 . Question

True or False: you have 20 minutes for task 1 of the IELTS Academic Writing exam, and you need to write at least 150 words.

2 . Question

True or False: IELTS writing tasks are marked in four equal categories – Task achievement, Coherence and cohesion, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and accuracy – so what you say is just as important as the vocabulary and grammar you use to say it.

3 . Question

Which option would you not be asked to summarise in IELTS Academic Writing task 1?

• a pie chart
• a line graph
• a bar chart

4 . Question

True or False: your first paragraph should state what the data is about; you can then give an overview of what the data shows, as part of the same paragraph, or in a new paragraph.

5 . Question

True or False: in your overview, you should mention key similarities between the data, but not differences.

6 . Question

Which is the odd one out?

• proportions

7 . Question

True or False: you should only use the present simple in IELTS Academic Writing task 1.

8 . Question

True or False: if the data shows categories, you can use the words as shown, without changing them.

9 . Question

True or False: you will get higher marks if you write longer sentences.

10 . Question

True or False: you will lose marks if you state information that is not shown in the data.

11 . Question

Read this answer sentence and choose what the problem is:

The two tables show the living arrangements of two age groups in an unspecified country in 2015.

• There is repetition of 'in' (in an unspecified country in 2015).
• The data is not shown in tables, but pie charts.

12 . Question

More people aged 25 to 34 live with a flatmate than those aged 35 to 44.

• The verb 'live' is in the wrong tense.
• The wording of the group 'living with flatmates' is not the same as shown in the question.

13 . Question

Living with a partner/spouse was more common among the older group than the younger one.

• The category 'living with a partner/spouse' is copied exactly, but it is not appropriate for a full sentence.
• The word 'one' is too vague; it would be better to repeat the word 'group'.

14 . Question

The proportion of living alone was approximately the same for both groups.

• After an expression like 'the proportion of', there needs to be a noun, e.g. 'people'.
• The question is about age groups, so this sentence should specify AGE groups, not just groups.

15 . Question

While roughly a third of 25-34-year-olds lived with their parents, this category represented a far smaller number of people aged 35 to 44.

• There are too many hyphens in '25-34-year-olds'.
• The charts do not show numbers, so 'number' is not the best word to use.

16 . Question

There was a dramatic drop in people living with flatmates from the first group to the second.

• 'Dramatic drops' only occur from one time period to another, but this data doesn't refer to two time periods.
• It is not clear which is the first group and which is the second.

17 . Question

Almost 50 people aged 35 to 44 lived with a partner or spouse, which is roughly double the proportion for the younger group.

• Words like 'almost' and 'roughly' are too vague.
• The number '50' sounds like it's counting 50 people.

18 . Question

Living alone was the same for the two groups.

• The category 'living alone' does not serve correctly as the subject of a sentence.
• The word for two things is 'both' – not 'the two'.

19 . Question

A similar percentage of people lived by themselves in both age groups, which may be for financial reasons.

• The category 'living alone' has been changed to 'living by themselves'.
• The comment about financial reasons is not required.

20 . Question

The order for 25-34-year-olds was living with parents, living with flatmates, living with partner/spouse and then living alone.

• The word 'living' is repeated too often.
• The sentence is just making a list.

The two charts below show the living arrangements of two different age groups in a certain country in 2015.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

• The pie charts show how people in two different age groups chose to live in an unspecified country in 2015: alone, with parents, with a partner/spouse, or with flatmates.
• Overall, living arrangements were noticeably different in the two age groups. People aged 25-34 mostly lived with parents or flatmates, while those aged 35-44 predominantly lived with their partner or spouse.

Roughly a third of 25-34-year-olds either lived with parents, or with flatmates. Of the remainder, just under a quarter lived with their partner or spouse, while the smallest proportion lived alone – around one fifth of the total. Among 35-44-year-olds, the trend was quite different, with almost half living with their partner or spouse. Approximately equal proportions lived either with flatmates or by themselves, with each segment making up around 20-25% of the total. Those living with parents were the smallest group, at around 10-15%.

Comparing the two charts, we can see that the percentage of people living alone was similar in both age groups. The biggest difference concerned people living with their partner/spouse, where the proportion was over two times larger in the older age group. On the other hand, among 25-34-year-olds, living with parents was more than twice as common as it was among 35-44-year-olds.

1. Planning Your Answer

With all IELTS writing, you need to organise your ideas before you start writing.

For a chart such as this one, think about how to connect the data.

Often, IELTS academic writing task one questions contain lots of data.

Many students try to present every piece of information, like a big list, but this is a mistake. Do you know why?

If you do this, your writing will probably be too long and repetitive. You also won’t have much progression in your writing, which is needed for C&C scores of six or higher. You can see details of these in the IELTS Writing Band Descriptors .

So, you need to connect and group the data, but how?

There’s no general rule here, but here’s a good starting point: look for similarities and contrasts.

In this question, you should look for similarities and contrasts both within each chart, and between the two charts.

Think about it now. Look at the charts, and try to find similarities and contrasts in the data. You can see the full-sized chart on the webpage for this lesson. Don’t forget: if you’re watching on YouTube, there’s a link in the video description.

Pause the video, and do it now!

Ready? Here are some ideas.

In the first chart, the proportions for ‘living with flatmates’ and ‘living with parents’ are similar, and they’re much larger than the other two segments, which are similar to each other.

In the second chart, the proportions for ‘living with flatmates’ and ‘living alone’ are similar. ‘Living with a partner or spouse’ is much larger than all the other groups.

Between the two charts, the proportions for ‘living alone’ are very similar. The other segments are all quite different, especially ‘living with a partner or spouse’.

Did you get these ideas, or did you have different ideas for similarities and contrasts?

There’s more than one way to do this. But, you should think about this point before you start writing. Try to make connections in your head, and put the data you’re given into groups. This will help you to link the data when you write, which is necessary for higher scores.

What else should you do before you start writing?

One: for a chart, check whether it shows figures, or percentages, or a mix.

You need different language to talk about these things. If the chart shows figures, you’ll need to talk about numbers, figures, amounts, and so on. If the chart shows percentages, you’ll need to talk about percentages and proportions.

Here, these are pie charts, so you need to talk about percentages and proportions.

Two: check if the data relates to the past, the present, the future, or a combination.

Sometimes, we see IELTS students who don’t pay attention to this, and then they mix different verb tenses in their answer. This will hurt your score. Decide what verb tenses you need, and try to keep it in your head as you write.

Here, the charts are from 2015, so you’ll need past verb forms.

Three: ask yourself if the charts refer to a moment in time, or changes over time. You’ll need different language in each case.

Here, the charts refer to a moment in time. This means you’ll need to use the verb ‘be’ a lot. You won’t use verbs like ‘increase’ or ‘change’, like you would in some IELTS task one questions.

Make sure you organise your ideas clearly before you start writing. Time spent planning will increase your chances of writing a well-structured, complete task.

Now, you’re ready to write. How should you start?

2. Starting Your Answer

At the start of your answer, you should do two things.

One: write a short paragraph – one or two sentences – saying what the chart shows.

Two: write another short paragraph with an overview. This doesn’t have to be a separate paragraph; you can put it together with the first paragraph if you want. It doesn’t matter.

Let’s look at these one by one.

For the first paragraph, you just need to restate the information in the instructions, but you should use paraphrase or different structures to avoid too much repetition.

Look at the example from our model answer:

Often, IELTS students have problems with this. This is because they try to follow the sentence structure in the task, and just change the words.

Paraphrase is useful, but you need to use other skills, too.

For example, you can use different references. The task refers to ‘two charts’ while our model answer refers to ‘pie charts’.

You can put ideas in a different order. The task says ‘living arrangements of two different age groups’, but in our model answer, we switch the order of these ideas, as well as changing the words.

Sometimes, paraphrase is enough. The task mentions ‘a certain country’. In our model answer, we paraphrase this to ‘an unspecified country’.

Finally, you can avoid repetition by using different levels of generality or specificity. The task refers to ‘living arrangements’; in our model answer, we list the four specific categories.

You don’t need to change everything from the task. It’s fine to copy and repeat small chunks of language. Also, there are some things you have to repeat. Here, there’s no way to change ‘in 2015’, so we kept it the same.

One final point: it’s fine to copy any text which appears on the chart itself. This means you can – and should – copy the categories, like ‘living alone’, ‘living with parents’ and so on.

That gives you your first paragraph. Next, you need to write the overview.

You can also put your overview paragraph at the end, if you want.

For your overview, think about this: imagine you want to tell someone about the chart, but you can only say one or two sentences. How would you do it?

Hopefully, this question is easier, because you planned your answer, and found connections between different data points, and looked for contrasts and similarities. You did that, didn’t you? You can use that here!

Your goal in the overview is to take the most important points from the chart, without going into detail.

If you want to try, then pause the video and write your own overview sentence. We’ll show you our example in a few seconds.

Did you do it? Here’s our model sentence:

Our model overview is two sentences. An overview should be one or two sentences long. If your overview is longer, it’s probable that you’re either including too much detail, or separating ideas which should be combined into one sentence.

Don’t mention any specific numbers or statistics in the overview. Include big-picture details only.

Here, you can see two ideas. One was comparing the two charts, and highlighting that the trends are different in each one. The second idea highlights the most popular living arrangement in each group.

Like many things here, there isn’t just one way to write an overview. However, someone who reads your overview should have a general idea of what the charts will show.

Now, let’s see some skills you need to write the rest of your answer.

3. Varying Sentence Structure

After your overview, you’ll write one or more paragraphs, explaining the contents of the charts in more detail.

In this and the next three sections, you’ll see some common problems which IELTS students have, and how you can avoid them.

First, it’s easy for IELTS task one answers to become repetitive.

Look at a sentence:

• The percentage of 25-34-year-olds living alone was around 20%.

Looks fine, right? Let’s add another one.

• The percentage of 25-34-year-olds living alone was around 20%. The proportion of 25-34-year-olds living with their parents was approximately one third.

Hmm… Not sure this is going well. Let’s add one more.

• The percentage of 25-34-year-olds living alone was around 20%. The proportion of 25-34-year-olds living with their parents was approximately one third. The percentage living with flatmates was also about 30%.

Do you see the problem?

If you write like this, your writing becomes repetitive, and starts to feel like a list. Even if you change some words, like using ‘approximately’ instead of ‘about’, or ‘proportion’ instead of ‘percentage’, it won’t solve the problem.

So, what should you do?

There’s more than one idea here, but first, you need to try to use varied sentence structures.

Look at the first sentence you saw before.

Here’s a challenge: how many ways can you think of to say the same idea, without changing the meaning, or losing any detail? Pause the video, and try to write this idea in at least three different ways. Do it now!

Could you do it? Here are some possibilities.

• Around 20% of 25-34-year-olds lived alone.
• Among 25-34-year-olds, around 20% of people lived alone.
• In the 25-34 age group, about 20% opted to live alone.
• Approximately one fifth of those aged 25-34 lived by themselves.

What about your ideas? Were they similar to these, or different?

So, what’s going on here?

First, you can simply change the order of the ideas, as in sentence one.

You can use an adverbial, like ‘among 25-34-year-olds’ in sentence two.

You can use different words to refer to the same thing. For example, instead of ’25-34-year-olds’, sentence three refers to ‘the 25-34 age group’. Instead of ‘around 20 per cent’, sentence four refers to ‘approximately one fifth’.

Sentences three and four also change the words ‘lived alone’, either by adding an idea – ‘opted to live alone’ in sentence three – or by paraphrasing – ‘lived by themselves’ in sentence four.

Be careful with this, because when you change the words, it’s easy to change the meaning. Make sure that your words have the same meaning as whatever you’re referring to.

Learning to vary your sentence structure is vital if you want to get higher scores for C&C and grammar. However, there are other key skills you need. Let’s look at another!

4. Combining Ideas

Look at two sentences.

• Roughly a third of 25-34-year-olds lived with their parents. A similar proportion (around 30%) lived with flatmates.

These sentences are fine, *but* if you write your whole answer like this, it will probably get overlong and repetitive. Also, to get higher IELTS writing grammar scores , you need to use a range of complex sentence structures.

So, you should try to combine ideas where you can. For example:

• Roughly a third of 25-34-year-olds either lived with parents, or with flatmates.

You can also combine contrasting ideas, using conjunctions like ‘while’, ‘whereas’, ‘although’ and so on.

Here’s a task for you. Look at the two charts, and find two contrasting data points. Write one sentence describing them both, linking the two ideas with a conjunction. Pause the video and try it now!

Did you do it? Let’s look at one example:

• Among 35-44-year-olds, almost half lived with their partner or spouse, while a much smaller proportion lived with their parents (around 10-15%).

Of course, there are many possibilities here.

But, you should be thinking about this all the way through your answer. Look through the model answer. Try to find where we’ve combined two or more ideas in one sentence.

Take note of different ways to combine similar or different ideas, and try to use them in your writing.

Let’s move on and look at one more key skill.

5. Precision of Language

Look at three sentences.

• The number of 35-44-year-olds living with their parents was quite high – around 50.
• The percentage of 35-44-year-olds living with flatmates decreased dramatically compared to the younger age group.
• Just over a quarter of 35-44-year-olds lived by themselves.

What do you think? Good sentences, or not?

All three sentences have problems. Can you find them? You’ll need to look at the charts, too. Pause the video and think about it if you want.

Any ideas? Let’s look together.

All three sentences have issues with precision of language. We see these problems often in our students’ IELTS writing.

The first sentence refers to ‘number’ and ‘around 50’. This is too loose. First, the pie charts don’t give you numbers, in the sense of quantities. It’s a percentage, so you should use the word ‘percentage’ or ‘proportion’. Secondly, what does ‘50’ mean? 50 what? If you mention a number, you should add the units, in this case, ‘per cent’.

• The percentage of 35-44-year-olds living with their parents was quite high – around 50%.

The second sentence has two problems. First, it doesn’t make sense to say that the percentage ‘decreased’. ‘Decrease’, ‘increase’ and similar verbs are used when things change over time, but these pie charts refer to one moment.

Secondly, ‘dramatically’ suggests a very large difference or change, but in this case, the difference between the two percentages is not that great. IELTS students often try to use words like this to increase their IELTS writing vocabulary score . However, it’s more important that your words fit the data accurately.

Here’s a better version of sentence two:

• The percentage of 35-44-year-olds living with flatmates was lower than the younger age group.

What about the third sentence?

Very simple: the information is incorrect. The pie chart shows that just under a quarter of this age group lived alone.

When you’re under time pressure, it’s easy to make mistakes like this. However, mistakes with the data will limit your TA score to six, so it’s important to make sure you get every detail accurate.

Good luck if you have an IELTS exam coming up soon! We hope you found this Oxford Online English IELTS preparation lesson useful!

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IELTS Writing Task 1 Guide and Tips

The IELTS Writing Task 1 is one of the tests you need to accomplish if you take the IELTS Test . It is by no means an easy test as a vast majority of candidates who have taken it left the testing room feeling not confident of how they performed in this part of the test. Some complained of the time allotted being too short of finishing the test, while some say that they are not familiar with the types of questions that appeared in the test.

We do not want you to experience the same, so we have gathered every detail there is to know about the IELTS Writing Task 1. Please continue reading. 

What is IELTS Writing Task 1?

How are the questions set in the ielts writing task 1, how is the ielts writing task 1 scored, helpful strategies to use for ielts writing task 1, top tips to succeed in writing task 1 (both academic and general training), sample questions and answers for ielts writing task 1, additional faqs on ielts writing task 1.

The IELTS Writing Task 1 is the first of two tasks in the IELTS Writing Test .  It is different for the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training modules. 

You should have at least 150 words and are advised to spend only 20 minutes on this task because the second task has more weight. But that is not to say that you should exert lesser effort in the IELTS Writing Task 1.

Your marks in this part of the test still contribute to your overall marks in the IELTS Writing. 

In the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 , you are presented with either a graph, chart, table, map, or diagram, and you need to describe and explain the data given. You are assessed based on your ability to:

• select and report the most significant parts
• describe and compare facts
• identify significance and trends in factual data
• describe a process

On the other hand, the IELTS General Training Task 1 requires you to compose a letter responding to a given predicament. It appraises your ability to:

• explain a coherent, relevant, well-organized argument
• support concepts with evidence or examples
• use the appropriate language and voice 

Since the IELTS Writing Task 1 is designed differently depending on who will take it, the types of questions are also different for the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training modules. 

IELTS Academic Writing

Bar, line, and pie graph.

You will be presented with either a bar, line, or pie graph. You need to describe and explain the data in the graph. 

You will be presented with one table of data. You need to describe and explain the data given in the table. 

You will be presented with a diagram of a process. You need to describe and explain the data given in the diagram. 

IELTS General Training Task 1

You are going to study in another country. You would like to work part-time while studying, so you would like to seek the support of a friend who lives nearby.

Write your friend a note. In your letter, 

• describe your study plans in detail
• describe why you wish to work part-time
• offer a way for your friend to assist you in your job search

You flew from New York to Frankfurt last Friday. You discovered that you had left your hand luggage on the plane when you returned home.

Send an email to the airline. In your letter,

• explain how you lost your bag and when you lost it
• describe what your luggage looked like and what it contained
• express how you want the airline to help you

The IELTS Writing Task 1 is marked based on the following criteria:

• Task achievement – 25%
• Coherence and Cohesion – 25%
• Lexical Resource – 25%
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy – 25%

You only have 20 minutes in the IELTS Writing Task 1. It may be short, but if you spend it wisely, it could mean the difference between a high and low band score. 

To maximize the time given, here are the different techniques and strategies to help achieve your desired band score in the IELTS Writing Task 1. 

IELTS Academic 

• Recognize what you will see in front of you: Be prepared by practicing writing for pie charts , maps, and flow diagrams. Make sure you are familiar with all of the visual types and that you have written at least two practice responses for each, including the multiple tasks, before taking the IELTS Writing Task 1. Keep in mind that this is a skill test and a language test. 
• Determine what you need to do with the graph, chart, map, or diagram: The IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 usually states: “Summarize the information by selecting and describing the main aspects and making comparisons where appropriate,” regardless of the question type. Compare, contrast, assess minimums and maximums, and find and describe trends rather than simply listing data. Do not go into detail about everything you notice. 
• Introduce the task: To do so, rephrase the information and explain what the IELTS Writing Task 1 entails. Throughout the course, we strongly advise you to paraphrase. You will lose crucial marks if you do not.
• Have an overview: The primary trend or most visible piece of information from the graph or chart should be stated clearly in the overview. You should not include the chart’s details just yet. To begin, simply describe what you can see in general.
• Describe the most important characteristics : This is where you can get into greater depth about the graph. All you need to do is refer back to the data. You need to explain what is the same and what is different. Comparative structures can be useful in this situation.
• Have a brief conclusion : We recommend that you include a brief conclusion, even if it is not required. This should connect the entire work together, and it could even contain a critical analysis of why the trends have occurred. However, do not go too far from the topic.

IELTS General Training

• Introduction

Do not have your letter in one paragraph only, as this will confuse the examiners with the point you are trying to make. Having them in separate paragraphs will also make your work more organized. DO not forget to use transition words in your paragraphs. 

• Identify the purpose of the letter: Read through a variety of sample questions. Determine whether a formal, semi-formal, or informal response is required. This will help you identify the language and voice you should use in your letter. 
• Cover all bulleted points:  In the IELTS General Writing Task 1, you will be asked to write a letter based on at least three bulleted points. The examiner will be looking for those in your letter. Make sure you cover them all. Otherwise, you will lose marks. 
• Use standard written phrases:  Utilize a number of conventional idioms and phrases in English letter writing. These will not only save your time and hard work, but they also help the reader understand what we’re saying. You can modify these basic phrases to include the specific information you want to convey.
• IELTS Writing Task 1: Letter Writing Guides and Tips

To get a high band score in the IELTS Writing Task 1 , you need to employ different techniques and strategies that have worked for successful candidates.

Remember that it is a timed test, and you need to utilize your time wisely. 

Here are the different tips you can apply to help ace the IELTS Writing Task 1 Test Section: 

• Have a strong introduction : This will make it easier for you to maintain the information you include in your writing. You could write a separate beginning paragraph but keep it short so you do not run out of time for the rest of your work. Alternatively, you can join the introduction and the first paragraph in the IELTS Writing Task 1 . A topic sentence in your introduction should map out the rest of your writing and give the examiners a feeling of direction.
• Plan your IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 structure : To create an excellent IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 response, you must first consider the format. When you know what to remember, it is a breeze. It is simple if you know what to remember. Before taking the test, master the skill of structuring a draft and outline of your writing. 
• Have the main idea for each paragraph : Each of your paragraphs should have the main idea. The rest of the paragraph’s ideas will be supporting ideas. Do not go off-topic. Avoid irrelevant supporting details as this will cause deductions on your IELTS Writing marks.
• Do not waste your time on IELTS Writing Task 1. : Spending too much time on the IELTS Writing Task 1 may impact the quality of your IELTS Writing Task 2 response. It should take you no more than 20 minutes to plan, write, and proofread your Task 1 response. If not, your 40 minutes to complete the second task will be shorter, which could be difficult. Furthermore, IELTS Writing Task 1 accounts for only roughly 30% of your overall IELTS Writing score . 
• Write the number of words required : You need to have at least 150 words in the IELTS Writing Task 1. Failure to do so will lead to a lower band score. It is advised that you write 170 – 190 words. However, remember that the examiner will mark your writing task based on the quality of your work and not the quantity of words you have written. 
• Proofread : When you are finished writing, set aside around five minutes for proofreading. However, your top objective is to complete the IELTS Writing Task 1, so do not put off editing until later. It is a good rule to never turn in your work early. Make the most of the time you have left by proofreading. Remember that this is a language test, so your grammar, vocabulary, and spelling, as well as your ability to structure your work, will be heavily scrutinized.

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

You took a taxi recently and left some essential paperwork in the taxi.

Write a letter to the taxi company . In your letter, 

• describe what you left and where it happened 
• explain the significance of the documents 
• express what you want the manager to do 

To be closer to your family, you’d like to work in a new city.

Request a transfer to another office in a letter to your employer. In your letter, 

• explain why you want to relocate 
• request that your company place you in a certain city
• request that it be accomplished by a specific deadline

How Can I Improve my Writing Task 1 in IELTS?

Regardless of the module you are taking; you can get high marks in the IELTS Writing Task 1 by understanding the test format and knowing how the test is marked. 

If you take the IELTS Academic Writing, familiarize yourself with the different visual tools such as graphs, tables, charts, and diagrams and learn how to describe and explain them.

Moreover, if you are taking the IELTS General Training, study the structure of writing a letter. 

How Can I Get 8 in IELTS Writing?

Achieving an 8-band score (or higher) in the IELTS Writing may be challenging, but it is not impossible. The key is to practice.

There are two tasks to be accomplished and while preparing for the IELTS Writing Test, ensure that you have studied enough how to give your performance on both tasks.

Utilize the different online materials and seek advice from experts and past candidates. 

What is the Format of Writing Task 1?

The IELTS Writing Task 1 is different for both the IELTS Academic and General Training modules. Because the two modules are intended for different groups of candidates, the test difficulty level varies as well.

For the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, you are asked to describe and explain data from a given graph, chart, table, or diagram.

The IELTS General Training Task 1, on the other hand, requires you to write a letter in response to a given situation. 

Is 6.5 in IELTS Writing Bad?

No, a 6.5 in the IELTS Writing is not bad. It is a pretty decent band score. It means that you are a competent user of the English language.

It is also the minimum band score required by most universities and companies that require IELTS. 

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How to Write an Essay Outline [IELTS Writing]

Posted by David S. Wills | Jun 6, 2022 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 0

In IELTS writing task 2, you will need to write a clear and coherent introduction . This should be comprised of several parts, one of which is a sentence that tells the reader what your essay will say or do. This is often called an essay outline , although you may hear it referred to by other names, such as “thesis statement.”

What your essay outline should say will depend upon the exact essay that you have to write, so it is a complicated issue, but this article will tell you everything you need to know.

What is an Essay Outline?

First of all, let’s briefly discuss what an essay outline is because it’s not 100% clear to everyone. The word “outline” means:

a general description or plan showing the essential features of something but not the detail

Therefore, in the context of IELTS writing task 2, an essay outline could be defined as a sentence at the end of your introduction that tells the reader what will come next.

This sentence should simply and effectively give information about what the reader will encounter in the coming paragraphs but without any of the detail that will come later. For example:

This essay will look at both sides of the issue but argue that it is best to fix problems and reach for a better situation.

Here, my sentence has made it very clear to the reader that this essay will do three things:

• Look at one side of an issue
• Look at the other side of that issue
• Argue in favour of fixing problems

In just twenty-five words, it has offered an effective outline of my essay. It has prepared my reader for what will come next, guiding them conveniently through the essay.

Do you Need an Essay Outline?

For a task 2 essay, it is generally good to have a sentence that explains the rest of your essay. This helps with both Task Response and Coherence and Cohesion . However, its necessity actually depends on the kind of question you are answering.

For any question that requires an opinion, you must include an essay outline that gives your opinion. If you don’t, you won’t get a good score for Task Response. That is because, in order to get a band 7 or higher, your essay needs to:

present a clear position throughout the response Source: IELTS band descriptors

Thus, you must make your position (ie your opinion) clear in the introduction, the body paragraphs, and the conclusion .

If you don’t need to give an opinion, then it is less important but it is still a very good idea to include an essay outline. I would strongly suggest that you write a sentence that tells the reader what you will do next.

Here are some examples…

Essay Outline Templates

The following are examples of sentences you could use for the different IELTS writing question types. Obviously, they depend on the exact question asked and your intended answer.

Agree/Disagree Questions

• This essay will disagree with the notion that _____.
• This essay will argue that ____.

Note: People often make a huge mistake in agree/disagree questions because they paraphrase the question and then give their opinion. This means that they present the opinion as their own and then either agree or disagree with themselves! This is a very serious error. You can read more about it here .

Discussion Questions

• This essay will examine both sides of the issue and conclude that…
• This essay will look at both perspectives and argue that…
• This essay will look at both viewpoints and then argue that…

Advantages/Disadvantage Questions

If you are asked to discuss the advantages and disadvantages :

• This essay will explore the advantages and disadvantages of…
• This essay will explain the advantages and disadvantages of…

If you are asked to weigh the advantages and disadvantages:

• This essay will argue that the advantages of ___ outweigh the disadvantages.
• This essay will argue that the disadvantages of ___ outweigh the advantages.

Problem/Solution Questions

• This essay will first look at the causes of ___ and will then suggest several solutions.
• This essay will explore the causes of ____ and also will present a possible solution.

Note: As always, your essay outline will depend on what you want to say. You may have one solution or many. Make sure that your outline matches the content.

Two-Part Questions

This essay type is harder to approach in terms of essay outline because it would depend 100% on the actual questions. However, your structure for a two-part question will usually be the same and your outline should clearly reflect this.

Here is a sample two-part question:

Some parents buy their children whatever they ask for and allow their children to do whatever they want. Is this a good way to raise children? What consequences could this style of parenting have for children as they get older?

And here is how I would write my outline:

This essay will explore why this is not a good way to raise children and why it will have negative impacts upon them in future.

As you can see, it is split into two parts: the first question is addressed and then the second. It is simple and effective.

Should you Write “This essay will” or “I will”?

You may have noticed that in all my examples above, I wrote “This essay will…” That’s because it is a little more formal to drop the personal element . Even though some questions explicitly ask for your personal opinion, you can still answer them without personal pronouns. For example:

• I believe that countries should protect their seas and I will explain why in this essay.
• This essay will explain why countries should protect their seas.

Both of these sentences are fine, but using the more neutral and objective perspective is better. It avoids being personal, which is slightly informal. However, if you feel more comfortable saying “I think/believe/feel/etc.,” then go ahead and keep doing that.

Common Mistakes

There are some problems that I see when doing my IELTS writing correction service . Some are big problems and some are small.

The worst problem, which I already mentioned above, is when people agree/disagree with themselves. This is actually a problem with the first sentence rather than the outline sentence, but still it is the outline that appears wrong. For example:

City councils should band the construction of buildings that are in a different architectural style to the traditions of that area. I completely disagree with this notion.

This is a huge problem! The author has disagreed with himself because the first sentence is presented as his own perspective. It is very important that you never do this in IELTS. Instead, you should frame the viewpoint as someone else’s:

Some people argue that city councils should band the construction of buildings that are in a different architectural style to the traditions of that area. This essay will completely disagree with this notion.

I have fixed the first sentence and now changed the second to be a bit more formal.

Another problem concerns discussion questions. People often mix up words like this:

• This essay will explain both sides of view.
• This essay will look at both sides of the view.

Basically, they have misunderstood the word “view.” A view and a side are pretty much the same thing here. We can just say “both views” or “both sides of the issue/argument/debate.”

A very common problem is to say the same thing twice, like this:

• In my opinion, I think that…
• From my viewpoint, I think that…

Keep in mind that both the first and second parts of those sentences mean the same thing!

Finally, we need to remember that an essay can do some things but it cannot do others.

There are other words that can only apply to people (ie using “I”). For example:

In other words, your essay is not conscious and so it cannot do feel anything. It can only present ideas on your behalf.

Do you Always Need an Essay Outline?

Are essay outlines always necessary? The short answer is: no. However, omitting them is a quite advanced technique and so it is generally best to include one.

If you leave out an essay outline, then your introduction must be sophisticated enough to hint at later ideas and your body paragraphs must follow on very intuitively from the intro. The benefit of doing this is that you show a subtle and intelligent grasp of cohesion whilst also avoiding formulaic language.

Here is an example:

The tourism industry has grown enormously over the last fifty years, and there are few places which are unaffected by it. However, tourism rarely benefits the countries which tourists visit. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Introduction:

Tourism has been around for millennia, but in the late twentieth century it exploded in popularity. Nowadays, millions of people take off on holiday during their summer and winter vacations, often to foreign countries. It generally considered a positive phenomenon, bringing the people of the world closer together and boosting the economies of developing countries. However, there are some drawbacks.

Instead of following the usual approach of saying “This essay will…” or “I think that…” I have simply said that “It is generally considered a positive phenomenon,” and then hinted at my perspective by saying “there are some drawbacks.” This shows balance and in the body paragraphs I will present both the positives and negatives , finally coming to a conclusion, which is that I neither wholly agree nor disagree. Remember: you do not always need to give a strong opinion. Balance is fine.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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IELTS Writing task 1: describing a diagram

In this lesson you will learn how to describe a diagram in IELTS Writing task 1 .

We will deal with a process diagram . Although diagrams are not very common in IELTS, they do appear in Writing and are very different from other types of graphs you can get. So it's a good idea to learn how to structure your answer when describing a diagram.

• See IELTS Writing digram question
• Learn how to write a band 9 answer
• Learn useful vocabulary
• See video tutorial

As an example, let's take a look at the following question card:

The diagram illustrates how steel rods are manufactured in the furniture industry.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

You can watch a video tutorial on how to describe diagrams in IELTS Academic Writing task 1:

• Introduction
• General overview
• Specific features

Now we'll take a look at each part of the answer.

1. Introduction

The first paragraph of your answer should be an introduction. For the introduction, you need to paraphrase the topic in your own words. It shouldn't be longer that 2 sentences.

And this is a possible way to write your introduction:

You could also write the introduction in another way:

In fact, there are plenty of ways to write your introduction. Just keep in mind that you should use synonyms and paraphrase the topic from your question card.

2. Overview

• how the process begins and ends
• the number of stages

If the diagram has loops or repeating stages, or your process is cyclic - write that in your overview too!

Here is a good way to write a general overview:

Overall, the process consists of eleven stages, beginning with the raw material and ending up with the product’s inspection.

Always use word overall to start your overview. This way you will indicate the examiner that you’re describing general trends.

3. Specific features

After you've given the overview, you should write about specific details of your diagram. To do that, you need to describe each stage of your process in detail . Don't forget that you should provide information in a logical way!

This is a possible way of describing the specific features of our diagram:

First of all, iron ore, yellow ore and carbon are collected to serve as a raw material for steel rods manufacturing. After that, the raw material is melted in a melting slit, where it is heated to a temperature in range of 1300-1500 °C. The melted mass is then transferred to a smelting cabin to undergo refinement. Next, the candescent metal is put in a pouring machine and poured into ingots.

In the next stage, the ingots are connected to a cooling reservoir, where the temperature falls to 60-100 °C. Metal goes through special nozzles and cools down, forming strands. Following this, the metal strands proceed to rollers that change their shape. Next, the products are put into a heating machine, where they undergo heat treatment. Subsequently, a measuring automaton completes a surface check of the products.

After that, the metal rods are sized by special cutters and get ID stamping. Finally, the products undergo inspection and are ready for use.

Using connectors

• first of all
• in the next stage
• following this
• subsequently

Using additional information

Your diagram will often provide you some additional information and hints for most stages of the process. Make sure that you use all that information while describing specific features of your diagram!

However, sometimes you may see that some stage lacks information for description . For example, we only know that the third stage of our process is called refinement and it happens in a smelting cabin . But we don't know what exactly happens during this stage.

In this case, you can use a verb to undergo . To undergo = to experience. For example, you can write: " the material undergoes refinement in a smelting cabin ".

And don't forget that you should NOT write a conclusion in Writing task 1 as you're not giving your opinion, you're describing the data.

Practice. Choose the correct options:

• The table shows the amount of students who study abroad in 2001 and 2011. The table shows the number of students who study abroad in 2001 and 2011.

Amount or number? Note that students are countable.

• The graph illustrate China's annual growth rate of exports of goods. The graph illustrates China's annual growth rate of exports of goods.

Look at the verb that follows the word graph . Hmm, the graph should be singular, so illustrates is the correct option.

• The line graph shows how many Finnish people went to the cinema between June and October 2014. The line graph shows how much Finnish people went to the cinema between June and October 2014.

You can say how much water or how much effort (these nouns are uncountable). But people are countable, so you should use how many in this case.

• The pie charts compare the world population of 1900 with 2000 . The pie charts compare the world population in 1900 and 2000 .

You should use phrase in + year , not of + year or at + year . Moreover, it seems like you compare population with year in the first sentence.

• The bar chart gives information about average household expenditure in Japan. The bar chart shows information about average household expenditure in Japan.

You can use either gives information about or shows , but not both at the same time.

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The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing [PDF] Free

When asked, many learners find it more difficult and time-consuming to face the IELTS Writing Task 1 types than Task 2. This is a big problem in the Vietnamese IELTS learner community. To partly solve this problem, in the following article,  9IELTS  would like to introduce to readers the next book:  IELTS The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing  by Phil Biggerton.

IELTS The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing  is an ideal course to help candidates prepare thoroughly for  Writing Task 1 .

The book presents specific steps to complete a complete article, warns of common errors, and suggests easy and effective writing tips. The book also helps learners to identify the criteria that make an excellent essay meet the examiner’s requirements.

The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing   Review

Book contents.

In terms of structure,  IELTS The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing  is divided into 11 units (units). In there,

• The first 3 lessons introduce the available units of knowledge and skills that IELTS Writing Task 1 requires, such as how to analyze basic chart types, write an introduction, General Statement, and Body.
• The following 8 lessons each correspond to a specific kind of topic
• Finally, there are sample papers and answers for lessons 1 to 11.

Target Readers

Because the book presents quite specifically the steps to complete a Writing Task 1, the book is suitable for a wide range of learners, from those who are new to the  IELTS  subject who need to learn about Writing Task 1, to those who have a background that wants to improve the quality of their writing.

However, due to the huge amount of knowledge and the advanced vocabulary structure in the book, the book will work best for those with a solid foundation and the ability to express themselves and reasonable grammar control (Writing band score is about 5.0). If you are still confused about developing sentences or paragraphs, go to the titles of Grammar or Practice writing basic sentences first!

Pros & Cons

IELTS The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing  focuses specifically on writing skills of Writing Task 1 types. In each section, the author has precise instructions, from analysing the schema/map to making detailed outline details, how to group and arrange data, and how to choose vocabulary and literary nuances to suit the topic’s requirements.

A summary of things to remember is attached at the end of each given group of articles. This acts as a checklist to help learners self-assess the units of knowledge they have learned, avoiding having to experience a feeling of spread and uncertainty.

Another bright point is that after presenting each theoretical item, the author has included a few exercises to practice the theoretical points just learned. This allows learners to apply what they have just acquired immediately and therefore can retain those units of knowledge and skills for longer, creating momentum to later combine with practice. Often, writing will come more gently and naturally.

In addition, the end of the book has sample answers for practice exercises from lessons 1 to 11, making self-study and self-assessment more possible for learners.

However, because the book has been published for a long time, although it is still considered helpful for Writing practice,  IELTS The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing  is not up-to-date and innovative. Some types of questions and graphs are no longer common, or even no longer appear, in recent IELTS tests.

The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing   Study Guide

IELTS The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing  is one of the “senior” IELTS preparation books, so it’s out of date in some places. Understanding this, you should carefully study the  IELTS Writing  exam format at the present time, from 2017 to the present, and identify which types of essays are common and which types no longer appear. This move will help you use this book more actively and effectively, avoiding wasting time on the outdated subject matter.

Besides, the fact that the book is written entirely in English can be difficult for you, especially for beginners. You can use reputable dictionaries such as Oxford or Cambridge to help you look up the meaning of new words in the learning process.

IELTS The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing  is still a good book for you to review. However, it would help if you also combined with other suitable IELTS preparation materials to overcome the weaknesses of this book.

Download The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing   Free

Please visit the links below to download  IELTS The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing  and say goodbye to the fear of Writing Task 1 right away! Hopefully, the information about  IELTS The Complete Guide to Task 1 Writing  here will help you use the book effectively and have more orientation in practising Writing skills and handling all types of Writing Task 1. Wish you get it soon band desired IELTS score!

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Academic Writing Task 1 Sample

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Sample answer:

The Eiffel Tower is situated close to the Seine River in Paris. It is a metal structure that is 1,063 feet high and weighs 7,417 tonnes. The tower has been a tourist attraction since 1889, when it was built, and there are 1,665 steps that can be climbed in order to reach the two viewing platforms. There are now plans to build below the foundations of the tower. These plans include the development of five underground levels that will incorporate the tower’s ticket office, shopping facilities, a cinema and museum and two floors of underground parking. Although details have yet to be finalised, the principle is that the five floors will be connected by two vertical passenger lifts on either side of the tower. In addition, the floor immediately below the tower, which is planned to house the ticket office, will also consist of a large atrium with a glass ceiling so that visitors can look directly up at the tower itself.

(162 words)

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General IELTS Task 1 Practice – ‘Formal’ letters

To help you prepare for the IELTS General test, a great exercise is to practice organizing General IELTS Writing Task 1 letters. In IELTS writing task 1 responses, it is important to place information in the correct places. Discover more IELTS Writing tips!

• Top 5 tips for improving Writing IELTS Academic Task 1 Skills
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• Top 5 Tips for IELTS General Writing 1 Letters

Remember: Each body paragraph focuses on one bullet point

For every IELTS Writing General Task 1 question, you will always have 3 bullet points , which list three important topics, issues, or ideas you need to write about in your Task 1 letter. So, your letter responses should use each bullet point  as the  main focus of a short paragraph .

In the exercises below, you see that we have determined how many sentences you need in each part of the letter. This organization follows our recommended structure that uses the following outline:

• Opening sentence
• Body Paragraph #1 :  First bullet point
• Body Paragraph #2 :  Second bullet point
• Body Paragraph #3 :  Third bullet point
• Closing sentence

In the above outline, body paragraphs #1, #2, and #3 focus on just one bullet point given in the question.  Each body paragraph  only needs  2 or 3 sentences, with each of those sentence focused on  giving specific information  about only that one bullet point.

In addition, it is always recommended that you order the paragraphs in the same order of the bullet points in the question.

How to use these Task 1 practice letters

• Read the Question to determine what information belongs in the opening sentence, body paragraphs, and closing sentence.
• Then, analyze the sentences on the right to determine where they should be placed in the letter.
• Drag the sentences into the yellow boxes where you think each sentence belongs in the letter. Only one sentence can go in a box.
• If you have placed a sentence in the correct location , it will stay there. However, if you placed a sentence in the wrong location , it will move back to the right!

NOTE : There is only one correct placement for each sentence. These placements have been determined using the recommended outline for Task 1 letters as explained above, as well as how the ideas in one sentence are connected to ideas in other sentences. You need to think about how ideas ‘flow’ logically from one to another. Good luck!

IELTS Task 1 Writing – Practice #1

Ielts  task 1  writing – practice #2, ielts  task 1  writing – practice #3.

So, follow these IELTS general writing tips. Make sure you are using a variety of vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structures in your IELTS Writing General Task 1 letters. Use the Opening  +  3 Body Paragraphs  +  Closing  outline for every Task 1 letter you write, and make sure you focus on  one bullet point in each body paragraph . Remember, it takes time to become effective with these techniques, so practice building Task 1 letters using this organization many times before IELTS test day so that it becomes a habit!

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 A Magazine Wants to Include Contributions from its Readers – IELTS Writing Task 1

Updated On Apr 08, 2024

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Table of Contents [ Show ]

• Question – A Magazine Wants to Include Contributions from its Readers
• Band 7 Sample Answer
• Band 8 Sample Answer
• Band 9 Sample Answer

IELTS letter topics such as requesting information, inquiring, or expressing gratitude typically based on practical and involve everyday occurrences are asked in the IELTS exam. Therefore, writing an appropriate response for letter topics like ‘A Magazine Wants to Include Contributions from its Readers’ is essential in  IELTS General Writing Task 1. 

Here, in this blog, we will discuss a   formal letter topic  – ‘A Magazine Wants to Include Contributions from its Readers.’ It will help you learn how to arrange your ideas rationally and adopt the right strategy for the letter. You can choose a topic from the   IELTS Writing practice tests  and structure your responses to help you improve your letter-writing skills for the IELTS exam.

Now, let’s explore the three sample answers, ranging from Band 7 to 9 on the IELTS General Writing Task 1 topic – ‘A Magazine Wants to Include Contributions from its Readers to enhance your letter-writing skills and boost your confidence for the test.

A magazine wants to include contributions from its readers for an article called ‘The book that influenced me most’. Write a letter to the editor of the magazine about the book that influenced you most. In your letter,

• describe what this book was about
• explain how this book influenced you
• say whether this book would be likely to influence other people

Band 7 Sample Answer for Writing Task 1 Question – A Magazine Wants to Include Contributions from its Readers

Dear Editor,

I am reaching out to share my profound appreciation for the book that has deeply impacted me: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. This timeless masterpiece talks about the themes of racial injustice, moral development, and empathy in the 1930s in South America.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” has played an important role in broadening my perspective on prejudice and discrimination while nurturing within me a sense of empathy and righteousness. The character of Atticus Finch, with his unwavering dedication to honesty, has served as a role model to me and has motivated me to stand for justice and equality in my own life.

I strongly believe that “To Kill a Mockingbird” possesses the power to influence others in a similar manner. It is universal themes and moving narratives that resonate across diverse audiences, sparking self-reflection and nurturing empathy. Therefore, I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a captivating and transformative literary journey.

Warm regards, Reynold Smith

(157 words)

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Band 8 Sample Answer for Writing Task 1 Question – A Magazine Wants to Include Contributions from its Readers

I am reaching out to share with you the profound impact a book has had on my life: “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho. This captivating narrative follows Santiago, a shepherd boy, on his journey to uncover his personal legend and realize his dreams.

“The Alchemist” has been a guiding light, teaching me invaluable lessons about pursuing my dreams, embracing uncertainty, and trusting in life’s journey. Santiago’s adventures have instilled in me the importance of persistence and chasing the call of my heart. This book has motivated me to take risks, pursue my passions, and never settle for a life lacking joy and fulfilment.

I am convinced that “The Alchemist” has the power to motivate countless people to chase their dreams with determination. Its timeless wisdom and deep messages can touch anyone, no matter where they come from. It’s a source of inspiration that can lift the spirits of many readers and guide them on their own journeys.

Best regards, Elizabeth Shines

(164 words)

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Band 9 Sample Answer for Writing Task 1 Question – A Magazine Wants to Include Contributions from its Readers

I am excited to share with you a book that has made a huge impact in my life recently: “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger. This classic book follows Holden Caulfield, a teenager dealing with growing up and society’s expectations.

I was able to resonate with my life with this book as it clearly captured the confusion and doubt of being a teenager. Holden’s search for truth in a world full of lies mirrored my own struggles that I came across as a teenager. Moreover, it made me think about what I stand for and who I want to be.

I firmly believe that “The Catcher in the Rye” possesses the ability to connect with readers across generations, as it deals with the universal themes of identity, isolation, and the search for the meaning of life. Its unfiltered portrayal of adolescence and emotional depth make it a timeless narrative capable of shaping and motivating individuals for years to come.

Warm regards, Rishab Patel

(169 words)

Now that you have gone through the sample answers on the topic – ‘A Magazine Wants to Include Contributions from its Readers – it is time for you to try writing some letters on your own to excel in this section in the IELTS exam. For that, leave your answers as a comment below or you can use our  FREE evaluation service!

Additional Resources

• IELTS General Writing Task 1: Letter Writing Samples and Tips
• IELTS Letter Writing Topics 2024 | IELTSMaterial.com  
• You recently bought a piece of equipment for your kitchen – formal letter 

Practice IELTS Writing Task 1 based on report types

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Nehasri Ravishenbagam, a Senior Content Marketing Specialist and a Certified IELTS Trainer of 3 years, crafts her writings in an engaging way with proper SEO practices. She specializes in creating a variety of content for IELTS, CELPIP, TOEFL, and certain immigration-related topics. As a student of literature, she enjoys freelancing for websites and magazines to balance her profession in marketing and her passion for creativity!

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Meet Abby - Your Personalized Writing Assistant! Are you an independent English learner striving to enhance your writing skills? With Abby, you gain access to five powerful AI Assistants tailored to meet your every writing need: **Evaluation Assistant**: Receive expert evaluation, precise proofreading, and meticulous fine-tuning for your essays, ensuring they shine with clarity and precision. **Writing Task 1 Assistant**: Seamlessly navigate Writing Task 1 assignments with comprehensive task understanding, strategic outline suggestions, key information highlighting, and illuminating sample essays. **Writing Task 2 Assistant**: Conquer Writing Task 2 challenges effortlessly with task comprehension, thought-provoking outline suggestions, dynamic idea generation, sample topic sentences, and exemplary essays to inspire your writing journey. **Vocabulary Assistant**: Expand your lexicon with curated word lists sourced from articles and topics, engage in stimulating collocation exercises, and master word usage through engaging gap-filling and paraphrasing exercises. **Grammar Assistant**: Deepen your understanding of grammatical concepts through clear explanations, refine your skills with interactive exercises such as gap-filling, sentence transformation, and error correction, and receive precise diagnosis of grammar errors to elevate your writing prowess. Abby is your dedicated companion, guiding you step-by-step towards proficiency in English writing. Whether you're striving for academic excellence, professional success, or personal growth, Abby empowers you to unleash your full potential. Get it today and receive 400 free credits for trial use!!

App Privacy

The developer, Proxyman LLC , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• Professional Package $9.99
• Starter Package $4.99
• Standard Package $6.99
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

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